The first round of the 2019 Brisbane International will mark the return of the former World No. 1 Andy Murray against the Australian, James Duckworth.
Watch & bet on James Duckworth v Andy Murray live in the Brisbane International with bet365 here* on Tuesday, January 1. The match begins at 11:00 am local time (GMT +10).
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Murray v Duckworth Head to Head
There has been only one instance when Murray and Duckworth have met on the ATP Tour. It was in the first round of the US Open, where Murray was pushed to four sets before he could win the match 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-5, 6-3.
His upcoming match against the Australian will be his first professional game since the Shenzhen Open last year. That event was the second time in 2018 that Murray reached the quarterfinal in a competition, with the other being the Citi Open in August.
The two-time Wimbledon champion struggled with a hip injury for a considerable period of time before he could return to action. It all began in the second half of 2017 when he lost his No. 1 ranking to Rafael Nadal owing to his injury. Thereafter, owing to his subsequent withdrawals from big events, his ranking to a sharp dive to No. 16.
In early 2018, Murray underwent hip surgery and missed the first half of the season. His return to the circuit was marked by early losses in London and Eastbourne. He then played in a couple of events before taking the rest of the year to recover fully from his injury.
As for Duckworth, he is currently ranked as the World No. 234, which is surprisingly six places above Murray’s. Just like the Brit, Duckworth too has had his fair share of injuries. He missed the 2017 season owing to his foot surgery and didn’t return until 2018.
His time, however, was split between the ATP and Challenger circuits. He played in all the four Grand Slams but never made it past the opening round of the main draw. Later in the year, he won the Challenger tournament in Cary, U.S.A, and was also a semifinalist in the Wells Fargo Tiburon Challenger.
Murray v Duckworth – Who Will Win?
Murray will start this match as the overwhelming favorite to win. He showed glimpses of his former self in the second half of 2018 and after having ample time to recover, he should be able to win this one. Whatever may be the outcome, this match will be an entertaining one.
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